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Meet the Representative

Find out more about the UNICEF Representative in Zambia, Dr. Penelope Campbell.

Picture of UNICEF Representative in Zambia, Dr. Penelope Campbell
UNICEF Zambia/Nalungwe
UNICEF Representative, Dr. Penelope Campbell presenting her credentials to Minister of Foreign Affairs
UNICEF Representative, Dr. Penelope Campbell presenting her credentials
UNICEF Representative interacting with children in Chilele Village, Luapula Province, Zambia
UNICEF/Zambia/2022/Chipema UNICEF Representative interacting with children in Chilele Village, Luapula Province, Zambia
UNICEF officially handing over two Community-Based Integrated Early Childhood Development (ECD) Hubs, locally called Insakas in Chongwe District
UNICEF/Zambia/2023/Nabatanzi UNICEF officially handing over two Community-Based Integrated Early Childhood Development (ECD) Hubs, locally called Insakas in Chongwe District.

Dr. Penelope Campbell is the UNICEF Representative to the Republic of Zambia, based in Lusaka. She took up her post in April 2022. She leads a team working on a broad range of programmes in support of the rights and well-being of children and young people under the UNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia.

With a career spanning 20 years in UNICEF, Dr. Campbell has led multiple global programmes focusing on Health, Nutrition, HIV development & humanitarian work. Additionally, she has represented  UNICEF at leading international forums and engaging with senior-level stakeholders including local governments to diplomatically drive improvements in the health sector, focusing on women and children, especially from vulnerable communities.

Prior to her appointment as UNICEF Representative to Zambia, Dr. Campbell served as Chief of Health in the Somalia office.

Aside from being a wife and mother of three, her accomplishments to date include:

  • Winner of the Young Investigator Prize in the area of Women, Girls and AIDS awarded by the International AIDS Society (2006).
  • Received UNICEF staff award for outstanding work addressing the Ebola crisis in Liberia (2014) and the Human of UNICEF staff appreciation award for living UNICEF’s core values (2020).
  • Consolidated three disparate programmes (HIV, Water & Sanitation and Health & Nutrition) within Myanmar into one robust integrated programme (2013) to synergise efforts and resources to enable young children to survive and thrive.
  • In Somalia, facing significant challenges overlaid with Covid-19 restrictions and constraints, effectively managed and delivered a health programme on multiple fronts, including leading on the Covid-19 response and system strengthening efforts, despite widespread disruption (2020 - 2021).

Dr. Campbell is of Jamaican and British descent with a MSc in Health Education & Health Promotion and a BSc (Hons) in Nursing Studies from King’s College, University of London. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Health with the University of West Indies.

 

Previous UNICEF Representatives in Zambia:

Ms. Noala Skinner, 2017-2022

Dr. Hamid El Bashir Ibrahim, 2014-2017

Dr. Iyorlumun J. Uhaa, 2010-2014

Ms. Lotta Sylwander, 2006-2010

Mr. Juan Aguillar (ad interim), 2005-2006

Dr. Stella Goings, 2001-2005

Dr. Peter McDermott, 1998-2000